Q: I am a
one-person-show with a great product. I've got a new prospect
coming to our office for an early-morning presentation. What's
the best way to ensure I make my best first impression and get the
sale?

A: The fact that
you are the only person involved in your presentation works in your
favor. You'll have total control of what gets said and,
therefore, the outcome of your presentation. Here's a helpful
checklist that I've used time and again to make sure everything
happens on schedule:

Room Setup
The look and feel of a room has an extraordinary effect on human
behavior and attitudes, and that means it has an extraordinary
effect on the way your prospect will perceive your presentation.
Before you even begin to think about where to put the table and
chairs, you should work your way through the following meeting-prep
checklist:

Make sure the room you'll be using is well-lighted.
A poorly lighted room will affect the internal clock of your
prospect, and perhaps even cause him or her to tune out you and
your message. Do not use an overhead projector or any other
presentation tool that requires that you dim the lights. If the
room has windows, tilt the blinds to obstruct the view. You
don't want anyone daydreaming during your presentation.

Keep all noise during your presentation to an absolute
minimum. Unplug all phones in the room and turn off any
overhead speakers, cell phones and pagers. If the room you'll
be using has adjacent neighbors, make sure a sales rally won't
be taking place during your presentation.

Remove all clutter. Get rid of boxes, piles of papers
and anything else that's not directly related to your
presentation.

Arrange for refreshments. No need to go overboard here,
but make sure you have on hand a nice assortment of beverages to
choose from. If possible, give a coffee mug (featuring your company
logo) to each attendee as well as a pen or pencil for
note-taking.

The Presentation
Once you're rolling, bear these important guidelines in
mind:

Do:

Set clear starting and ending times.

Use topic index cards or some other written cue cards
summarizing your key points to keep you on track and ensure that
you don't miss anything.

Consider using more than one presentation tool, such as flip
charts and an overhead projector. It's more interesting and
engages the audience.

Gain and maintain visual contact with every single member of
your audience. Learn to scan the room with a sequence so you
don't miss anyone.

Keep a pitcher of water handy for yourself.

Count to 10 after you ask any questions. And try this:
"What questions do you have?" instead of "Are there
any questions?"

Don't:

Read statements from your notes verbatim.

Talk while you are facing away from your audience.

Interrupt people when they are talking.

Continue to hold a pointer or marker after you've used it.
The risk that you'll engage in a distracting nervous tic is
just too high!

Carry change in your pockets.

Exceed 60 minutes without a break.

When you're done with your presentation, you have two
choices to wrap it up:

"So, ladies and gentlemen, you've seen what I have to
offer. What do you think? Shall we get your service started on the
29th of this month?"

"So, ladies and gentlemen, you've seen what I have to
offer. You've been very generous with your time and attention,
and I appreciate that. You'll need some time to think over
everything you've seen and learned today. Shall we set a time
on next Thursday to discuss what you want to do next?"

I prefer the second approach. It has a better chance of getting
a more direct response from your prospect. Lots of luck with your
presentation!

The opinions expressed in this column are
those of the author, not of Entrepreneur.com. All answers are
intended to be general in nature, without regard to specific
geographical areas or circumstances, and should only be relied upon
after consulting an appropriate expert, such as an attorney or
accountant.

Tony Parinello

Tony Parinello has become the nation's foremost expert on executive-level selling. He's also the author of the bestselling book bearing the name of his sales training program,Getting to VITO, the Very Important Top Officer, 10 Steps...